Bottom seaming unit



April 1966 KAIJI NEGORO 3,246,622

BOTTOM SEAMING UNIT Filed March 11, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F: T m

53 3 I. Wham N," l A 13 1e INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Km. NEGORO v April 19, 1966 KAlJl NEGORO 3,246,622

BOTTOM SEAMING UNIT Filed March 11, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a Q 84 8 a4 B l 42 87 .LQ as w 12 TIG-A- "FIGS TIE-.6 p20 INVENTOR Kmul NEGOZO ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,246,622 BOTTGM SEAMHN G UNIT Kaiji Negoro, Clarendon Hills, Ill., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 264,278 20 Claims. (Cl. 113-18) This invention relates to a novel bottom seaming unit, and in particular, a bottom seaming unit particularly adapted to curl and seam a bottom end of a cup to a bottom peripheral edge portion of a cup body in a single operation.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel bottom seaming unit including a plunger reciprocally mounted in a housing, an end portion of the plunger having a coupling member cammingly secured thereto, the coupling member including a seaming roll journalled thereon and positioned adjacent a curling head whereby reciprocal motion of the plunger causes radial movement of the coupling mechanism and the seaming roll to effect simul taneous curling and seaming of -a bottom end of a cup to a bottom peripheral edge portion of a cup body positioned between the seaming roll and a portion of the housing.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel bottom seaming unit including a housing, a sleeve rotatably mounted in the housing and having a curling head at an end portion thereof, a plunger reciprocally mounted in the sleeve and means coupling the sleeve to the plunger whereby rotation of the sleeve causes rotation of the plunger and reciprocation of the plunger causes radial displacement of the coupling means, and a seam roll rotatably mounted on the coupling means in cooperative relationship with the curling head and a portion of the housing whereby a bottom end of a cup is simultaneously curled and seamed upon rotation and radial displacement of the coupling mechanism.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel bottom seaming unit including a housing, a sleeve rotatably mounted in the housing and having a curling head at an end portion thereof, the curling head including an annular cur-ling groove, a plunger reciprocally mounted for axial movement in said sleeve, coupling means journalled between the sleeve and an end portion of the plunger, the coupling means including a camming mechanism which is effective to transform the reciprocal motion of the plunger into radial movement of a seaming roll rotatably journalled on the coupling means adjacent a portion of the housing and the curling head whereby simultaneous curling and seaming of a bottom end of a cup to a bottom peripheral edge portion of a cup body in a single operation is performed.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a r novel bottom seaming unit constructed in accordance with the above objects, and in addition, to provide the housing with a guiding portion whereby the housing may be movably mounted adjacent a cup-receiving mandrel in axial alignment with the reciprocal plunger, and a stop member located for abutment with a portion of the housing to limit the movement of the housing with respect to the cup-receiving mandrel.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel bottom seaming unit constructed in accordance with the immediate above object, and in addition, to pro vide a mechanism for reciprocating the plunger axially toward the cup-receiving mandrel, the reciprocating mechanism including a biasing member coupled through the rotatable sleeve whereby the housing is moved into abutment with the stop member prior to axial movement of the plunger with respect to the cup-receiving mandrel.

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Another object of this invention is to provide a novel bottom seaming unit of the type having a movable housing, a sleeve rotatably mounted in the housing and having a curling head at an end portion thereof, the curling head including an annular curling groove, a plunger reciprocally mounted in the sleeve, and in addition, to provide a coupling mechanism between the sleeve and the plunger, the coupling mechanism including a camming member guidably supported by the sleeve and the plunger whereby reciprocal motion of the plunger is effected to impart radial movement to a seaming roll secured to the cou pling mechanism adjacent a portion of the housing and the curling head, the camming portion including a camming member slidably mounted in a slot in the plunger and a guiding member slidably mounted in a slot in the sleeve whereby the seaming roll is radially displaced and rotated for simultaneously curling and seaming a bottom end of a cup to a bottom edge portion of a cup body in a single simultaneous operation.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel bottom seaming unit including a housing, a sleeve rotatably mounted in the housing and having a curling head at an end portion thereof, the curling head including an eccentric opening therein, a plunger mounted in the sleeve for axial movement toward said eccentric opening and a seaming roll having a portion thereof projecting into the eccentric opening, the portion of the seaming roll projecting into the eccentric opening being adapted for radial movement therein and a coupling mechanism between the seaming roll and the plunger whereby reciprocation of the plunger toward the eccentric opening causes radial movement of the seaming roll with respect to a portion of the housing and the curling head to simultaneously curl and seam a bottom end of a cup to a peripheral edge portion of a cup body.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel curling head having an eccentric opening therein, an annular curling groove in a face of the curling head, a plurality of curling pins traversing the annular curling groove and each of the curling pins having a curling groove in alignment with the annular curling groove of the curling head.

With the above, and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the fol-lowing detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of a bottom seaming unit constructed in accordance with this invention, and illustrates a housing, a sleeve rotatably mounted in the housing and having a curling head at an end portion therof, a plunger reciprocally mounted in the sleeve, and a coupling member journalled between the plunger and the sleeve with a seaming roll rotatably carried by the coupling member and radially movable toward a peripheral bottom edge portion of a cup body mounted upon a cup-receiving mandrel.

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1, and shows an annular curl-ing groove in a face of the curling head and a plurality of grooved curling pins traversing the annular curling groove.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE 2, and illustrates one of the plurality of grooved curling pins slidably received in a slot of the curling head and a set screw securing the curling pin in the slot.

FIGURES 4 through 6 are fragmentary cross-sectional views of the FIGURE 1 bottom seaming unit, and show a bottom end of a cup being progressively and simultaneously curled and seamed to a bot-tom peripheral edge portion of a cup body in a single operation.

Referring in detail to the drawings, a bottom seaming unit 7 is best illustrated in FIGURE 1.

The bottom seaming unit 7 includes a substantially tubular housing 8 having an axial bore 10 terminating in an enlarged annular recess portion 11. An annular portion 12 is secured to a forwardly facing front end portion 13 of the housing 8 by a plurality of circumferentially spaced bolts 14 passed through a respective aperture 15 in the annular portion 12 and threadably received in a plurality of aligned circumferentially spaced threaded apertures 16 in the housing 8. A radially inwardly directed flange 17 of the annular portion 12 terminates in a peripheral tapered bearing wall 18. An integral depending inverted T-s-haped supporting leg 20 of the housing 8 is slidably received in an elongated slot 21 of a supporting base 22. A front face 23 of the inverted T- shaped support leg 20 is adapted to bu-tt an end portion 24 of an adjustable stop mechanism 25 secured to the supporting base in a manner to be hereafter described in detail.

An elongated sleeve 26 is rotatably mounted in the axial bore 10 and the annular recess portion 11 of the housing 8 by a pair of identical anti-friction bearings 27. A pulley 28 is secured by a key 30 to an end portion 31 of the sleeve 26. A pulley belt 32 is entrained about the pulley 28. The pulley belt 32 is driven by a suitable drive mechanism (not shown), thereby imparting rotation to the sleeve 26. An axial bore 33 in the sleeve 26 terminates in a counter bore 34 in an end portion 35 of the sleeve 26.

The portion 35 of the sleeve 26 includes an integral curling head 36. The curling head 36 has an eccentric opening 37, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, for a purpose to be more fully described hereafter. The eccentric opening 37 in the forwardly facing portion 35 is a continuation of the counter bore 34 in the rotatable sleeve 26. A pair of diametrically opposed slots 38 and 40 are formed in the curling head 36 of the sleeve 26.

An annular wall 41 of the curling head 36 is provided with an annular curling groove 42. A plurality of slots 43 are circumferentially spaced about the curling head '36 in angular relationship to the annular curling groove 42 of the curling head 36. A curling pin or plow 44 is slidably mounted in each one of the plurality of slots 43. A curling groove 45 is formed in each one of the plurality of curling pins or plows 44 in circumferential alignment with the annular curling groove 42 of the curling head 36. An inner upper surface 46 and an outer upper surface 47 of each of the plurality of curling pins or plows 44 are rounded, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, and extend upwardly beyond the bottom surface of the annular curling groove 42 of the curling head 36.

A threaded aperture 48 is formed in the curling head 36 normal to each of the slots 43. A set screw 50 is threadably received in each of the threaded apertures 48 for abutment against an associated one of the plurality of curling pins or plows 44, in a manner clearly illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, whereby the curling pins or plows 44 are secured within the slots 43. When the set screws 50 are loosened, the curling pins or plows 44 may he slid in the slots 43 to position the curling grooves 45 of the curling pins or plows 44 in any one of a plurality of positions with respect to the annular curling groove 42 of the curling head 36. After the curling pins or plows 44 have been selectively adjusted with respect to the annular curling groove 42, the set screws 50 are threadably tightened to secure each of the curling pins or plows 44 in the grooves 43. The curling pins or plows 44 of FIGURE 2 are illustrated in their innermost positions with respect to the eccentric opening 37. As the plurality of curling pins or plows 44 are moved outwardly from the positions shown in FIGURE 2, the bottom peripheral edge portion of a cup body is more abruptly curled, as will be more fully described hereafter.

A cylindrical plunger 51 is reciprocally and rotatably mounted in the sleeve 26 of the bottom seaming unit 7. The cylindrical plunger 51 is surrounded by antifriction bearing sleeves 52 press fitted in the axial bore 33 of the sleeve 26.

A collar 53 is immovably secured to a rear portion 54 of the cylindrical plunger 51. The collar 53 is preferably welded to the cylindrical plunger 51 but may be secured thereto by a set screw or any such other well known fastening members. A forwardly facing portion of the collar 53 is provided with an annular shoulder 55. A compression spring 56 surrounds the cylindrical plunger 51 and seats against the end portion 31 of the sleeve 26 and within the annular shoulder of the collar 53.

A peripheral groove 57 in the collar 53 receives a pin 58 projecting outwardly from an end portion 60 of a lever 61. The lever 61 is pivoted by a suitable mecha nism (not illustrated) in a manner and for a purpose to be more fully described hereafter.

A forwardly facing end portion 62 of the cylindrical plunger 51 is provided with a camming slot 63 opening outwardly from a forward face 64 of the cylindrical plunger 51.

A coupling member 65 is movably mounted between the forwardly facing end portion 62 of the cylindrical plunger 51 and the curling head 36 of the sleeve 26. The coupling member 65 includes a rearwardly directed carnming arm 66 slidably received in the camming slot 63 of the cylindrical plunger 51. The camming arm 66 is angularly offset with respect to the axis of the cylindrical plunger 51, as is the camming slot 63. The camming arm 66 is integrally joined to an upwardly extending slide arm 67 guidably received in the radial slot 38 of the curling head 36. The carnming arm 66 is also integrally joined to a downwardly depending slide arm 68 guidingly received in the radial slot 40 of the curling head 36. Because the slide arms 67 and 68 of the coupling member 65 are received in the radial slots 38 and 40 of the curling head 36, any rotation imparted to the sleeve 26 by the pulley 2 8 causes rotation of the coupling member 65. A cylindrical shaft 70 is integrally joined to the slide arms '67 and 68 of the coupling member 65.

An inner race 71 of an anti-friction bearing 72 is press fit on the shaft 70 of the coupling member 65. An outer race 73 of the anti-friction bearing 72 is press fit in a bore 74 of a seaming roll 75.

The seaming roll 75 is substantially annular in transverse cross-section, and includes a rearwardly directed circular boss 76. The circular boss 76 of the seaming roll 75 is located within the eccentric opening 37 of the curling head 36. A peripheral bearing face 77 of the seaming roll 75 is contoured to the general configuration of the peripheral wall 18 of the annular housing portion 12 for a purpose to be described hereafter.

The operation of the bottom seaming unit 7 will be best understood by referring to FIGURES 1 and 4 through 6 of the drawings to which attention is now directed.

The bottom seaming unit 7 is positioned adjacent a non-rotatable cup-receiving mandrel 78 of an indexing turret (not shown). The mandrel 78 is located in axial alignment with the cylindrical plunger 51 of the bottom seaming unit 7. A plurality of mandrels, identical to the cup-receiving mandrel 78 are arranged about the periphery of the indexing turret (not shown), and each of the cup-receiving mandrels is indexed into axial alignment with the housing 8 by a turret indexing mechanism (not shown) in a manner well known in the art.

The mandrel 78 and the remaining plurality of abovementioned mandrels arranged about the periphery of the indexing turret are provided with a respective ejector mechanism 80. Each of the ejector mechanisms 80 includes an ejector plate 81 housed in a circular recess 82 of the mandrel 78. An ejector arm 83 is secured to the ejector plate 81 and slidably received in an axial bore 84 of the mandrel 78. The ejector arm 83 is slid toward the housing 8 of the bottom seaming unit 7 after a cup has been curled and seamed and indexed by the turret beyond the bottom seaming unit 7.

As is best illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a cup 85 is slidably telescoped on the cup-receiving mandrel 78 of the indexing turret prior to the movement of the mandrel 78 into axial alignment with the reciprocal plunger 51 of the bottom seaming unit 7. The cup 85 includes a body 86 terminating in a bottom peripheral edge portion 87. A bottom end 88 having a depending peripheral bottom flange 90 is secured internally of the body 86 of the cup 85.

The pulley belt 3-2 entrained about the pulley 26 is continuously driven, thereby imparting rotation to the sleeve 26 rotatably journalled in the housing 8 by the anti friction bearings 27. As the sleeve 26 rotates, the seaming roll 75 as well as the cylindrical plunger 51 are rotated by the coupling member 65. That is, the sleeve 26 rotates the coupling member 65 because of the sliding connections between the sliding arms 67 and 68 of the coupling member 65 with the respective slots 38 and 40 in the curling head 36. The camming arm 66 of the rotating coupling member 65 rotates the cylindrical plunger 51. It should be noted that even though the cylindrical plunger 51 rotates, no rotation is imparted to the lever 61 which is journalled to the collar 53 of the cylindrical plunger 51. As the cylindrical plunger 51 rotates the pin 58 of the lever 61 merely rides in the peripheral groove 57 of the collar 53-.

The lever 61 is pivoted in a clockwise direction by a suitable mechanism (not shown) which is in synchronism with the indexing turret. When the mandrel 78 with a cup telescopically carried thereby is indexed into axial alignment with the housing 8 of the bottom seaming unit 7, the lever 61l-begins to pivot in a clockwise direction. The pivoting of the lever 61 in a clockwise direction tends to reciprocate the cylindrical plunger 51 in a forward direction toward the mandrel 78. However, because the compression spring 56 exerts a force between the sleeve 26 and the collar 53 greater than the friction force between the T-shaped support leg guidably and slidab ly mounted in the guide slot 21 of the supporting base 22, the housing 8 is advanced forwardly toward the cup-receiving mandrel 78. During this advancement all forward motion of the cylindrical plunger 51 with respect to the sleeve 26 is precluded. As the lever 61 is pivoted and the housing 8 slides toward the cup-receiving mandrel 78, the bottom peripheral edge portion 87 and the depending peripheral fiange 90 of the cup 85 enters into the annular space between the peripheral wall 18 of the annular housing portion 12 and the peripheral bearing face 77 of the rotating seaming roll 75.

The lever 61 continues pivoting in a clockwise direction causing the housing 8 to slide forwardly toward the adjustable stop 25, and prior to the abutment of the wall 23 of the T-shaped support leg 20 with the end portion 24 of the stop 25, the bottom peripheral edge portion 87 of the cup 85 enters the annular curling groove 42 of the curling head 36. As is best illustrated in FEGURE 4 of the drawings, the annular curling groove 42 of the rotating curling head 36 causes the bottom peripheral edge portion 87 of the cup 85 to be spin-curled inwardly and forwardly toward the bottom end of the cup 85. It should be particularly noted with respect to FIGURE 4 that the bottom peripheral edge portion 87 of the cup 85 has not yet been overlapped about the peripheral bottom flange 90 of the bottom end 38, that the housing 8 has not yet contacted the stop member 25 and the cylindrical plunger 51 has not advanced forwardly with respect to the sleeve 26 or the housing 8.

The lever 61 continues pivoting, and the housing 8 continues to advance until it abuts the stop member 25 6 as shown in FIGURE 5 of the drawings. The stop member 25 precludes further forward advancement of the housing 3 with respect to the cup-receiving mandrel 78. At this position, however, continued advancement of the housing 8 with respect to the cup-receiving mandrel 78 is unnecessary since the bottom peripheral edge portion 87 of the cup is fully curled about the peripheral flange 9t] of the bottom end 88. At the time the T-shaped support leg 26 of the housing 8 contacts the end portion 24 of the stop member 25, the compression spring 56 begins compressing against the forward advancement of the cylindrical plunger 51 toward the cup-receiving mandrel 78. As the lever 61 continues pivoting in a clockwise direction and the cylindrical plunger 51 continues advancing forwardly toward the mandrel 78, the camming slot 63 cooperates with the camming arm 66 to transform the forward reciprocal motion of the cylindrical plunger 51 into radial movement of the coupling member 65.

This transfer of the axial movement of the plunger 51 into radial movement of the coupling member 65 is, of course, effected by the camming slot 63 in the plunger 51 bearing against the camming arm 66 of the coupling member 65 thereby forcing the same radially to the position illustrated in FIGURE 6. While radial movement of the coupling member 65 is occurring, it is again noted that the sleeve 26, the cylindrical plunger 51, the coupling member 65 and the seaming roll 75 continue rotating.

As the coupling member 65 .is moved radially, the circular boss 76 of the seaming roll 75 is free to move radially in the eccentric opening 37 of the curling head 36. Furthermore, the camming arm 66 moves down- Wardly and is partially received in the counter bore 34 of the sleeve 26. As the seaming roll 75 is moved radially, the rotating peripheral bearing face 77 thereof contacts the curved portion of the bottom peripheral edge portion 87 of the cup 85. Continual radial movement of the seaming roll 75 compresses the curled peripheral edge portion 87 and the depending peripheral flange 0 between the peripheral bearing face 77 of the seaming roll 75 and the peripheral bearing wall 18 of the annular housing portion 12. Thus, a bottom seam 92 is formed at the bottom peripheral edge portion 87 of the cup 85.

Once the bottom seam 92 has been formed the lever 61 is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction until the bottom seaming unit 7 is in the position shown in FIGURE 1. The turret is indexed beyond the bottom seaming unit 7 and the ejector arm 83 is actuated whereby the ejector plate 81 ejects the now bottom seamed cup from the mandrel 78. As the cup-receiving mandrel 78 is indexed away from the bottom seaming unit 7, another mandrel with a non-seamed cup thereon is brought into axial alignment with the housing 8 and the above-mentioned operation is repeated.

While an example disclosure of a bottom seaming unit is shown herein, it is to be understood that changes in the disclosed structures and arrangements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bottom seaming unit comprising a housing, a sleeve rotatably mounted relative to said housing and having a curling head at an end portion thereof, a reciprocable plunger mounted in said sleeve, means coupling said sleeve to said plunger whereby said sleeve and plunger are simultaneously rotated, 21 seaming roll carried by said coupling means, said coupling means including means for radially displacing said seaming roll upon relative reciprocal movement between said sleeve and said plunger, said seaming roll including a peripheral face in radially opposed spaced relationship to a bearing wall of said housing whereby a bottom of a cup is curled and seamed upon rotation and radial displacement of said coupling means.

2. A bottom seaming unit including a sleeve rotatably mounted in a housing and provided at an end position thereof with a curling head, groove means in said curling 7 head opening axially outwardly therefrom, a plunger reciprocally mounted in said sleeve, a seaming roll, means coupling said seaming roll adjacent said curling head and a portion of said housing, said coupling means causing radial displacement of the seaming roll as said plunger is reciprocated, and means for rotating said curling head whereby a bottom of a cup is curled and seamed upon rotation and radial displacement of said coupling means.

3. A bottom seaming unit comprising a housing, means for supporting a cup bottom adjacent said housing, a sleeve rotatably mounted in said housing and having a curling head at an end portion thereof, said curling head including an annular curling groove opening axially outwardly toward said supporting means, a plunger reciprocally mounted in said sleeve, coupling means between said sleeve and said plunger, said coupling means including camming means effective to transform the reciprocable motion of the plunger into radial movement of a seaming roll secured to said coupling means adjacent a portion of the housing and the curling head whereby a bottom of a cup is curled and seamed upon rotation of said sleeve and radial movement of the seaming roll.

4. A bottom seaming unit comprising a housing, means for supporting a cup bottom adjacent said housing, a sleeve rotatably mounted relative to said housing and having a curling head at an end portion thereof, said curling head including an annular curling groove opening axially outwardly toward said supporting means, a plunger reciprocally mounted in said sleeve, means for reciprocating said plunger, coupling means between said sleeve and said plunger, said coupling means including camming means effective to transform the reciprocable motion of the plunger into radial movement of a seaming roll sccured to said coupling means adjacent a portion of the housing and the curling head whereby a bottom of a cup is curled and seamed upon rotation of said sleeve and radial movement of the seaming roll.

5. A bottom seaming unit comprising a housing, means for supporting a cup bottom adjacent said housing, a sleeve rotatably mounted in said housing and having a curling head at an end portion thereof, means for rotating said sleeve, said curling head including an annular curling groove opening axially outwardly toward said supporting means, a plunger reciprocally mounted in said sleeve, means for reciprocating said plunger, coupling means between said sleeve and said plunger, said coupling means including camming means effective to transform the reciprocable motion of the plunger into radial movement of a seaming roll secured to said coupling means adjacent a portion of the housing and the curling head whereby a bottom of a cup is curled and seamed upon rotation of said sleeve and radial movement of the seaming roll.

6. A bottom seaming unit comprising a movable housing, means for supporting a cup bottom adjacent said housing, a sleeve rotatably mounted in said housing and having a curling head at an end portion thereof, means for rotating said sleeve, said curling head including an annular curling groove opening axially outwardly toward said supporting means, a plunger reciprocally mounted in said sleeve, means for reciprocating said plunger, said reciprocating means including biasing means coupled through said sleeve to said movable housing whereby said housing is moved prior to the movement of said plunger, coupling means between said sleeve and said plunger, said coupling means including camming means effective to transform the reciprocable motion of the plunger into radial movement of a seaming roll secured to said coupling means adjacent a portion of the housing and the curling head whereby a bottom of a cup is curled and seamed upon rotation of said sleeve and radial movement of the seaming roll.

7. A bottom seaming unit comprising a movable housing, a sleeve rotatably mounted in said housing and having a curling head at an end portion thereof, means for rotating said sleeve, said curling head including an annular curling groove, a plunger reciprocably mounted in said sleeve, means for reciprocating said plunger axially in said sleeve, coupling means between said sleeve and said plunger, said coupling means including camming means guidably supported by said sleeve and said plunger whereby reciprocable motion of the plunger is effective to impart radial movement to a seaming roll secured to said coupling means adjacent a portion of the housing and the curling head, said camming means including a cam-- ming member slidably mounted in a slot in said plunger, said slot and camming member being in non-axial align ment with respect to said plunger whereby reciprocation of said plunger by said reciprocating means causes camming movement between said slot and camming member whereby said coupling means and the seaming roll secured thereto are radially displaced causing the bottom of a cup to be curled and seamed upon rotation of said sleeve.

8. The bottom seaming unit as defined in claim '7 wherein said coupling means includes a guiding member slidably mounted in a slot in said sleeve whereby the radial displacement of said seaming roll is accurately maintained and axial movement of said coupling means is precluded.

9. The bottom seaming unit as defined in claim 7 wherein said housing is a movable housing, said reciprocating means including a lever arm secured to a collar mounted in said plunger and a biasing member positioned between said collar and said sleeve whereby movement of said lever arm causes movement of said housing prior to reciprocation of said plunger.

10. The bottom seaming unit as defined in claim 7 wherein said rotating means includes a drive pulley secured to said sleeve.

11. The bottom seaming unit as defined in claim 9 wherein said biasing member is a compression spring surrounding said plunger.

12. The bottom seaming unit as defined in claim 9 wherein said housing is movably mounted adjacent a cupreceiving mandrel, said mandrel being in axial alignment with said plunger, and an adjustable stop adapted to contact said housing when said housing has been advanced a predetermined distance toward said mandrel.

13. The bottom seaming unit as defined in claim 12 wherein said mandrel includes a non-rotatable ejector adapted to eject a cup therefrom after the bottom of the cup has been curled and seamed.

14. A bottom seaming unit comprising a housing, a sleeve rotatably mounted in said housing, said sleeve having a curling head at an end portion thereof, said curling head including an eccentric opening, a plunger mounted in said sleeve for axial reciprocable movement toward said eccentric opening, a seaming roll located adjacent said curling head and a portion of said housing, a portion of said seaming roll projecting into said eccentric opening, said seaming roll portion being adapted for radial movement in said eccentric opening, and means coupling said seaming roll to said plunger whereby reciprocation of said plunger toward said eccentric opening causes radial movement of said seaming roll with respect to a portion of said housing and said curling head.

15. The bottom seaming unit as defined in claim 14 wherein said curling head includes a plurality of curling pins traversing an annular curling groove in a face of said curling head and each of said curling pins having a curling groove in alignment With said annular curling groove.

16. The bottom seaming unit as defined in claim 15 wherein said curling pins are slidably mounted in said curling head and means are provided for adjusting the alignment of each curling groove of each curling pin with the annular curling groove.

17. A curling head including a body having an eccentric opening, an annular curling groove in a face of said body, a plurality of curling pins traversing said annular curling groove, each of said curling pins having a curling groove in alignment with said annular curling groove.

18. A curling head including a body having an eccentric opening, an annular curling groove in a face of said body, a plurality of curling pins traversing said annular curling groove, each of said curling pins having a curling groove in alignment with said annular curling groove, said culling pins being slidably mounted in said curling head, and means for adjusting the alignment of each curling groove of each curling pin with the annular curling groove.

19. A curling head including a body having an eccentric opening, an annular curling groove in a face of said body, a plurality of curling pins traversing said annular curling groove, each of said curling pins having a curling groove in alignment with said annular curling groove, each of said curling pins being slidably mounted in a respective one of a plurality of slots in said curling head, means for adjusting the alignment of each curling groove of each curling pin with the annular curling groove, and said adjusting means including a member threadably received in a bore in said body opening into each of the slots.

20. A bottom seaming unit comprising a housing, means for supporting a cup bottom adjacent said housing, a sleeve rotatably mounted relative to said housing and having a curling head at an end portion thereof, a plunger mounted for reciprocal movement relative to said sleeve, means coupling said sleeve to said plunger whereby said sleeve and plunger are simultaneously rotated, a seaming roll carried by said coupling means adjacent said curling head, said coupling means including means for radially displacing said seaming roll upon relative axial movement between said sleeve and said plunger, groove means forming a portion of said curling head, said groove means opening toward said supporting means, and said seaming roll having a peripheral surface in radially opposed relationship to a surface at the housing end portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 697,786 4/1902 Black 11314 1,392,867 10/1921 Crawford 11325 1,982,085 11/1934 Titus 11325 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BOTTOM SEAMING UNIT COMPRISING A HOUSING, A SLEEVE ROTATABLY MOUNTED RELATIVE TO SAID HOUSING AND HAVING A CURLING HEAD AT AN END PORTION THEREOF, A RECIPROCABLE PLUNGER MOUNTED IN SAID SLEEVE, MEANS COUPLING SAID SLEEVE TO SAID PLUNGER WHEREBY SAID SLEEVE AND PLUNGER ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY ROTATED, A SEAMING ROLL CARRIED BY SAID COUPLING MEANS, SAID COUPLING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR RADIALLY DISPLACING SAID SEAMING ROLL UPON RELATIVE RECIPRO- 